Police are investigating reports of gunfire in northeast Salem early Monday morning, the third reported shooting in the city in the last 48 hours.
The latest shooting occurred around 1 a.m. in the 1500 block of Evergreen Avenue Northeast, according to a press release from the Salem Police Department. Nearby residents reported hearing “several” gunshots at the early hour.
No injuries have been reported, the agency said. The police did not say whether they made an arrest.
Lt. Debbie Aguilar told Salem Reporter she couldn’t say whether this latest incident is connected to two separate shootings on Sunday that left two people dead.
Two people died within three hours of each other Sunday morning, though those two incidents of gunfire are unrelated, Salem police said. No information has been released about the victims.
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One person died early Sunday morning after a shooting at Englewood Park, according to Salem police. The agency said the shooting occurred around 12:48 a.m. No information about a suspect has been released.
“This investigation is ongoing and no additional details will be released,” the agency said in a Sunday press release.
Three hours later, another person died after a shooting in the 400 block of 22nd Street Northeast. Salem police said the incident occurred around 3:19 a.m. and officers arrived to find the victim with a gunshot wound. The victim was taken to Salem Hospital via ambulance and pronounced dead at the hospital.
Police arrested Alberto Medina-Cortes, 43, on suspicion of murder and unlawful use of a weapon. Court records say Medina-Cortes is a resident of Lakeview. He has been lodged in Marion County Jail without bail.
It’s unusual for Salem to have this much violence in rapid succession, Aguilar said. An investigation will determine if residents should be concerned about an emerging pattern.
“I would anticipate as the investigations go on we can start talking a little bit more about ‘Is this just a horrible coincidence or is there something else going on?'” she said.
Have a tip? Contact reporter Troy Brynelson at 503-575-9930, [email protected] or @TroyWB.
